The Integration of Geography and
Language Arts Standards
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Why GeoLiteracy?Why GeoLiteracy?
To increase student achievement on state-mandated tests
To promote geographic education To practice reading and writing skills To maximize classroom instruction time
Why GeoLiteracy?Why GeoLiteracy?
To assist in meeting North Central Accreditation goals
To help students with limited English language skills
To create a link between tested language arts skills and geography
standards
What are GeoLiteracy lessons?What are GeoLiteracy lessons?
K-8 lessons that:Integrate geography
standards with reading and writing standards
Improve student skillsMotivate student
learningAssess student
achievement
How do GeoLiteracy Lessons How do GeoLiteracy Lessons Motivate?Motivate?
GeoLiteracy lessons motivate students through:
Oral historiesHands-on activitiesMap making activitiesShort writing projects
such as public service announcements and newspaper articles
How do GeoLiteracy Lessons How do GeoLiteracy Lessons Assess Student Achievement?Assess Student Achievement?
GeoLiteracy lessons assess achievement in reading, writing, and geography by using:
The 6 Trait Writing Rubric The format of Stanford
Achievement Test questions
Observation assessments Multiple choice tests
Who created the lessons?Who created the lessons?
Teacher Consultants from the Arizona Geographic Alliance
National Board Certified Teachers An Assessment Specialist from Mesa
Public Schools Department of Geography personnel from
Arizona State University
Who funded the development Who funded the development of the GeoLiteracy Project?of the GeoLiteracy Project?
What are some of the 23 lessons What are some of the 23 lessons for grades K-3?for grades K-3?
If These Walls Could Talk: Learning about human features of a community
A Walk Around School: Mapping how to get from one place to another
Catch Me If You Can: Recognizing relative location terms
Me on a Map: Comprehending that homes make neighborhoods and neighborhoods make a community
Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, and Save Trees: Conserving natural resources
Sticks, Stones, Sinews and Stuff: Using the environment to meet basic needs
Nina Bonita: Mapping Nina’s world and understanding tolerance
I Am a Rock. I Am an Island: Identifying landforms and water bodies
What are some of the 25 lessons What are some of the 25 lessons for grades 4-5?for grades 4-5?
Westward Ho: Reading fictional diaries and mapping a journey on the Oregon Trail
Birth of a Rocky Mountain Town: Learning how humans respond to natural features
Let’s Travel: Creating a travel brochure of state landmarks explaining why tourists should visit them
Take Me to The River: Recognizing how a dam has affected the humans living in the area
The Mountain Community: Understanding how physical landscapes and economic conditions influence the settlement of people
Maize to Maquiladoras: Tracking the historical movement of people, ideas, and goods from Mexico to the U.S.
But We Need More: Examining pollution and water conservation issues
What are some of the 33 lessons What are some of the 33 lessons for grades 6-8?for grades 6-8?
Over and Through: Categorizing physical geography terms
Is There a Map in That Story? Drawing a map from a written description
Name that Place: Discovering the word origins of place names in the U.S.
Letter from a Leader: Writing a letter as if students lived in an ancient civilization
Who’s a Noodlehead? Examining cultures to find commonalities
Welcome to My World: Learning how being born male or female in some countries can influence a person’s future
Desertification: Determining the causes and effects of desertification
Three Gorges Dam: Analyzing the pros and cons of building a controversial dam
Wow!Wow!
A total of over 80 lessons
Each is classroom ready
Available on CD ROM or as paper copies
05
101520253035
Number of Lessons
K-3 Gr 4-5 Gr 6-8
Lessons Per Grade Level
And Wow!!And Wow!!
Student samples for some of the lessons!
How do I know the lessons work?How do I know the lessons work?
Piloted with over 5,300 AZ students
Piloted by 100+ AZ teachers
Piloted in more than 20 AZ school districts
How do I know the lessons work?How do I know the lessons work?
Piloted
with
diverse
ethnic
populations
How do I know the lessons work?How do I know the lessons work?
Piloted with
economically
diverse
populations
Distribution of Economic Status of Schools in Pilot Program
26%-50%51%-75%
Less than 25%Over 75%
Percentage of Students on Free or Reduced Lunch
What are the language backgrounds What are the language backgrounds of the piloted students?of the piloted students?
Percentage of ESL Students in Pilot Program
89% 11%
English Speaking Students ESL
What are the grade level distributions of the ESL students?
Grade Distribution of ESL Students in Pilot Program
53%
32%
15%
K-3
Gr 4-5
Gr 6-8
How successful were the lessons?
Preliminary piloting showed:
85%85% of students scored 80% or higher on
the geographygeography assessment 84%84% of students scored 80% or higher on
the readingreading assessment 78%78% of students scored 80% or higher on
the writingwriting assessment
What are the costs of What are the costs of implementing GeoLiteracy?implementing GeoLiteracy?
Grades K-5 would ONLYONLY need GeoLiteracy to teach ALLALL of the AZ geography standards
Cost per school for GeoLiteracy materials for grades K-5 are
Approximately $475Approximately $475
Grades 6-8 would enhance BOTHBOTH their social studies and language arts curriculum with GeoLiteracy
Cost per school for GeoLiteracy materials for grades 6-8 are Approximately $635Approximately $635
What do the costs include?What do the costs include?
High quality children’s books
National Geographic series:
Windows on Literacy
Reading Expeditions
Familiar children’s literature
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How can the costs be reduced?How can the costs be reduced?
MANYMANY of the GeoLiteracy materials are in your librarylibrary:
River Ran Wild Ramona Quimby books Gingerbread Man Red Riding Hood The Lorax The Cherokee
Nina Bonita Year of the Ranch Noodlehead Stories Edward and the Pirates Talking Walls Alejandro’s Gift Me on the Map The Desert is Theirs Rosie’s Walk Roxaboxen This is the Tree
How can the Arizona Geographic How can the Arizona Geographic Alliance help you?Alliance help you?
We can: Provide expert training for using the GeoLiteracy
program Offer more components as they are developed Provide maps and information on our website
How can the Arizona Geographic How can the Arizona Geographic Alliance help you?Alliance help you?
Included on the CD are over 60 COPYRIGHT FREE maps that have been produced by Arizona State University, Department of Geography Cartographer, Barbara Trapido-Lurie and her staff.
Which districts have lent Which districts have lent support to GeoLiteracy?support to GeoLiteracy?
Avondale Bisbee Cartwright Cottonwood Deer Valley Flagstaff Gilbert Hebrew Academy of Tucson Homeschoolers Madison Marana Mesa Kyrene
Osborn Page Paradise Valley Peoria Private Schools Sacaton Sierra Vista Somerton Sunnyside Tanque Verde Tempe Tucson Washington
Why should you consider Why should you consider GeoLiteracy?GeoLiteracy?
Innovative approach to integrating geography and language arts
Based on Arizona and national standardsBased on mandated testsPreliminary results show it teaches
geography as well as reading and writing
Thank you for considering our
GeoLiteracy Program.
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